In case you missed it, last week Stephen Colbert picked the Cubs to win the World Series this year, declaring the Billy Goat Curse vanquished. He then kicked a baby goat out of his theater, so if they don't make it, you know who to blame. Tonight's Game 3 against the Cardinals is at 5:07pm.

Robbie Gould is the Bears' special teams captain, and WGN's Jarrett Payton and Shaun Davis recently debated whether a kicker should ever be a captain. Jack Silverstein makes a pretty good case that Gould should be.

While appealing to his beloved Cubs to stop winning, writer Rich Cohen said he started cheering for the team despite his father's warning that a "Cubs fan will have a bad life, as such a fan will come to regard defeat as the natural end of all human endeavor."

A baseball fan power ranking puts Cubs fans at 14th and White Sox fans near the bottom at 26th place of the 30 MLB teams. The rankings factored things like stadium attendance, ticket resale value, and social media following. [via]

It took Chicago a few years to build it, but this weekend you can celebrate The Bloomingdale Trail and the associated 606 park system. Details for the festival abound at the 606 website. There will be food, art installations, a ribbon cutting and dance lessons just to kick things off.

"Mr. White Sox," Minnie Minoso, passed away Sunday. Minoso was the first black player from Latin America to play in the major leagues, and was a seven-time All Star. His exact age is unknown, but he was believed to be 90.

Claiming that the team deliberately let ineligible kids play, Little League International stripped the Jackie Robinson West team of all their wins from the 2014 Little League World Series tournament this morning. The US championship was awarded to the Las Vegas team JRW beat 7-5.

The vice president of Evergreen Park's Little League program has filed a complaint that members of the world champion Jackie Robinson West team live outside of the league's residency boundaries. A Little League International official said that the team's paperwork checked out.

An organized effort is afoot to get the Blackhawks to embrace its large and growing female fanbase stop playing "The Stripper" when woman plays Shoot the Puck at halftime, call the "ice girls" "ice crew" like the rest of the ice crew and put them in warmer uniforms, and other sexist practices. Sign the petition here.

After a New York strip club offered Carmelo Anthony free lap dances for life if he returned to the Knicks, Chicago's Admiral Club promised a life-sized portrait of him would be displayed there forever, and three dancers would get tattoos of his name.

The World Cup will be played in Soldier Field for the first time since 1994 -- but just on the big screen. Tuesday's free USA vs. Belgium viewing party has been moved to the 61,500-capacity stadium. Doors open at 1:30 ahead of the 3pm match.

Forbes' Mike Ozanian calls the Cubs "Baseball's Next Powerhouse," pointing to upcoming television deals, the Ricketts' development strategy and Warren Buffett's interest in the team as signs of future prosperity.

The NYTimes looks into Northwestern's campaign against the potential football player union, including mandatory one-on-one meetings with Coach Pat Fitzgerald, threats to cancel the construction of a new athletics center and warnings that a union vote would mean fewer employment opportunities after college. Additional details can also be gleaned from the university's internal response to anonymous questions, as published by CBS Sports.

Yesterday the CTA sent out a notice warning that the Addison Red Line stop would be closed northbound for repairs today, just in time for the Cubs' home opener. Fortunately, it was just a "clerical error" -- the station will be open from 10:50am to 2:45pm.

While Jackie Robinson broke baseball's color barrier in 1947, the Cubs waited until 1953 to get with the times -- and it may have been the reason for the team's long decline, writes the Reader's Steve Bogira.

Six members of the 1985 Bears have filed a lawsuit against the current owners of the "Super Bowl Shuffle," claiming that rights to use their likenesses didn't transfer when the song and video were purchased.

With the Super Bowl being held in New York this year, RedEye asks if it could ever make its way to Chicago. It's possible, although critics- includking Ditka himself- say it's way too cold here in the winter.

Quarterback Kain Colter and other members of the Northwestern football team are asking to be represented by a labor union, making them the first players in the history of college sports to do so, according to ESPN.

The odd love affair between former Bulls star Dennis Rodman and North Korean leader Kim Jong-Un continues, with The Worm singing happy birthday to the head of the hermit kingdom and playing a game with a team of retired American players as a present.

Ms.Fit magazine, a "body-positive, LGBTQ-friendly, unapologetically feminist women's health and fitness webzine," is just shy of making its fundraising goal to continue publishing in 2014. Pitch in here.

New Year's resolutions are right around the corner, which means putting up with listening to your friends ask themselves repeatedly which gym they should join. Give them the gift of punching power this holiday season with a membership at the Franklin Street Boxing Club. If anything, after six to eight weeks, they'll get your back in a barroom brawl.

Returning to the United Center for the first time since his injury, Derrick Rose sunk a game-winning jump shot with just a few seconds left on the clock, sealing the Bulls' 82-81 victory against the Knicks Thursday.

The undefeated Chicago Force will be taking on the Dallas Diamonds at the Women's Football Alliance Championship game in San Diego on Saturday. Kickoff is at 8 p.m. and the game will be live on ESPN3 and streaming online.

The Blackhawks will be selling melted ice, allegedly from the United Center rink, to raise money for team charities. Meanwhile, the Sox are selling broken dreams and the Cubs are selling tickets to next year.

What "save Wrigley Field" means depends on your perspective, apparently The Cubs sent out an email yesterday asking fans to sign a petition supporting the ballclub's restoration plans. Meanwhile, the grassroots group Save Wrigley Field is pushing for the opposite.

After the police drove revelers from the street in Wrigleyville last night, some of them smashed windows and caused mayhem further down Clark and Broadway. Ted McClelland wonders whether cops would have been as lenient if it were protestors instead of Blackhawks fans.

Lakeview-based Cubby Tees created a "Chicago Stronger" shirt to show support of the Blackhawks during the Stanley Cup finals against the Boston Bruins. The shirt has been pulled after the company received what they're calling a "Twitter-lynching." The shirt is a play on the "Boston Strong" slogan created after the Boston Marathon bombings.

If you're not doing anything today, jump in the car and head down to Toyota Park and watch the Fire take on the Columbus Crew. Both parking and admission are free; the game was postponed from last night.

Jackie Robinson, whose life is depicted in 42, out this weekend, made his major league debut at Wrigley Field in 1947. A snippet of film shot by a fan shows him out on the field and signing autographs. [via]

Someone dropped off a a goat's head in a box, addressed to Cubs owner Tom Ricketts, at Wrigley Field yesterday afternoon. No word yet on whether it was meant as a creepy curse-breaker or more of a Godfather-style message regarding ongoing renovation negotiations.

Now that the NHL lockout is behind us, professors at UofC's Booth School of Business tried to determine if hockey salaries are worth it. According to the researchers, a little Moneyball-style stats analysis could work wonders to find diamonds on the ice.

Tim Jennings, Brandon Marshall, Henry Melton, Julius Peppers and Charles Tillman were selected for the Pro Bowl this year, all as starters. Marshall is the first Bears receiver to be picked since 2002.

The Martin Prosperity Institute ranks the Chicago area as the best Halloween spot in the country. The factors? A relatively dense population, the highest number of candy stores per capita and a median income that allows for high candy "purchasing capacity."

Former White Sox players Ozzie Guillen and Carlton Fisk were in the news yesterday -- Guillen for getting fired by the Marlins and Fisk for being found drunk and passed out in his truck in the middle of a corn field.

Proving that even NFL players occasionally need to be embarrassed, the Bears' rookies got a dose of humility by getting pranked with a fake $38,000 dinner bill. I still want to know how much it would cost to for the entire team to chow down at Smith and Wollensky.

The Ricketts won approval of changes to Wrigley Field that will add three rows of seats behind home plate and make a portion of the left field wall removable -- which would allow college football games to play in both directions.

The University of Chicago announced it will do away with its swimming test requirement for incoming students. For nearly 60 years U of C has enforced the rule that students who cannot prove they can successfully swim 100 yards must enroll in a swimming course.

In a Bull's offseason riddled with bad news, something hopeful: following rumors that he wound and rumors that he wouldn't, fan-favorite Tom Thibodeau has agreed to a four-year extension to keep him coaching the Bulls through the 2016-17 season.

In 1966, a New Trier highschooler named Michael Aisner drove to the South Side with a friend to interview Muhammad Ali. The reel-to-reel tape hadn't been heard for 50 years -- until Aisner submitted it to Blank on Blank, a new collection of "lost interviews" old and new.

Good news, the Cubs aren't the worst franchise in baseball, but they are somewhat close. According to Chicago magazine's analysis of a tool developed by Bloomberg Businessweek, the Cubs sit comfortably at 27th place. This should make Cubs fans thankful they aren't Mets fans.

Groupon is offering a $30,000 deal today for a Cubs "Game Day Experience", benefiting Cubs Charities. The deal gets you the opportunity to throw out the first pitch on Aug. 30, a tour of the stadium, memorabilia and a suite for you and 13 of your friends.

Terin Izil, creator of Camp Promise, is eating, drinking, wearing, and maintaining personal hygiene only with products that have the Olympic rings until the end of the Olympics to raise money for her organization. Follow along at 5RingDiet.com

Newcity's Eric Lutz put together a history of the Chicago Whales (Wrigley Field's original occupants) and their player-manager Joe Tinker, who'd won the World Series with the Cubs in 1908 and 1909 before taking over the short-lived Federal League team.

No direct reflections from Jordan or Pippen, but this oral history of the '92 "Dream Team" US Olympic basketball team is a great read -- and it does include quotes from Tony Kukoc, who played for Croatia against his future teammates.

Do you identify with any of these letters: LGBT? Do you like to bike? Then you may very well be interested in the Windy City Cycling Club (WCCC). Whether you're into a short and leisurely ride, or you're looking for folks into longer and more competitive rides, this may be a great way to make friends, find a date, or just fulfill that New Year's resolution you made months and months ago.

Joe Ricketts, the head of the family who owns the Cubs, is preparing a major campaign to "defeat Barack Hussein Obama." The NY Times reports that one option is a $10 million racialization of the presidential race by reinserting Rev. Jeremiah Wright and others to influence voters who "still aren't ready to hate this president."

The Active Transportation Alliance's Bike Commuter Challenge is coming up next month, and you can sign up now as a team leader or participant for your office. Over 500 companies throughout Chicagoland took the challenge last year. Even a partial commute counts towards participating, so you can give it a try by riding your bike to the CTA or Metra, too.

Dr. J. Martin Leland, assistant professor of surgery at the University of Chicago Medicine, talks about how anterior cruciate ligaments, or ACLs, are torn, repaired, and what may have happened when Derrick Rose's ACL was injured.

The Tribune Co. and DirecTV hugged it out, so you'll be able to watch the Cubs home opener on WGN today -- but if you are coming in from the suburbs, out of town for the game, the CTA Tattler has some recommendations for your Red Line ride to the stadium.

Apparently, we keep doing something right. Already the first city to host the McDonald's All-American Games in back-to-back years, Chicago was confirmed yesterday for three in a row next year. See Tailgate for a primer on what you'll see tonight at the United Center.

Former Bulls star and current agent of the reigning MVP, BJ Armstrong, has been appointed to the city's Park District Board. "One of Armstrong's duties will be to oversee a renovation project of 100 outdoor basketball courts around the city," the Tribune reports.

The Cubs are looking for 4 Ball Boys and Ball Girls for the upcoming season. Applications, which must include a short Youtube video featuring the candidate, are due Monday, March 12 at 11:59:59pm. Click here to apply.

President Obama backed the Bulls once more in an interview with ESPN last night. During the podcast, he alluded to his possible re-election and included that sometime during his presidency, "it will happen." Considering the possibility that he's not re-elected, this could be the year. Right?

ChicagoSide, Jonathan Eig's new sports blog, is looking for "a young, funny, Chicago newbie who has not yet chosen a favorite local baseball team" to star in a web series about making that choice. There's a casting call at 4pm today and another on Saturday at the Second City Training Center.

The Cubs are using "dynamic pricing," which rises and falls based on demand, for the popular bleacher seats this season. Tickets will range for $17 to $78 apiece. (The White Sox started using the technique last season.)

Despite the risks, Urlacher is unrepentant. "First of all we love football. We want to be on the field as much as we can be. If we can be out there, it may be stupid, it may be dumb, call me dumb and stupid then because I want to be on the football field."

Rex Flodstrom was arrested yesterday for surfing at Oak Street Beach. For the record, surfing is only allowed at 57th Street, Montrose, Osterman and Rainbow beaches during the winter, and only at Montrose and Osterman during the summer.

When Santa's not in a sleigh, he's totally a bike winter fan. Don your fuzziest of red hats or your elfiest of shoes and head out to the Santa Rampage bike ride on 12/17 starting at the Twisted Spoke downtown. Only fully-dressed Santas, elves, or dreidels are allowed (homemade costumes are completely fine). Details in Slowdown.

Remember the Chicago Cougars? No? Not surprising, since they were a World Hockey Association team for just three years in the mid-'70s. Their main claim to fame might be bringing about the only major-league championship to be played in Mount Prospect.

Paul Leka, songwriter best known for writing "Na Na Hey Hey (Kiss Him Goodbye)," the song played at the end of every White Sox win, when the opposing team pulls a pitcher and lots of other times, actually, passed away Oct. 12. He was 68.

Billy Corgan has started a pro wrestling league, with its first match at Excaliber Nov. 25. He did the morning show rounds today, talking about the league, its commitment to concussion awareness, and his show with the Smashing Pumpkins this weekend at the Riv.

Adidas' latest iteration of Derrick Rose shoes, the adiRose 2.0, debut Thursday, Oct. 6 at Footlocker. In the new commercial for the shoes, Rose breaks for the hoop against several defending bullfighters.

Chicago-born Donald Young made it to the top 16 in the US Open this weekend. He's playing the fourth-ranked player in the world, Andy Murray, today for a chance at the quarter-finals. But he almost didn't get this far. (Thanks, Aaron!)

The conclusion of a fierce summer softball league involving a bevy of radio stations and publications produced a title-holder this evening: CHIRP beat WBEZ in a 7-4 match. Congrats to all of those who left their computer monitors to interact with real human beings, if only for a few hours...

"My t-shirt? It's for the Duffy Florals. You've probably never heard of them." It's rare that sports fans get to play the hipster superiority card, but Peoples Garment Co. helps make it happen. (Duffy Floral, the team's sponsor, still exists, incidentally.)

Governor Quinn is saying he will fulfill the wager he made in January with Wisconsin Governor Scott Walker before the start of the next football season. Hopefully he's assuming the lockout will be over by the start of the 2011 season.

An oldie but a goodie: Royko at the Goat, a short film of Mike Royko telling stories about 16-inch softball. Now with a preface from cinematographer Scott Jacobs.

There's a media league playing today -- head over to Trebes Park on Monday and Thursday nights this month to catch Gapers Block, Chicagoist, RedEye, Time Out, CHIRP, WBEZ, The
Reader, WSJ, WCIU and ChicagoNow battle it out on the dirt diamond. We play at 6 and 7pm.

Cubs fans at Wrigley Field love throwing back opponents' home run balls, but yesterday's doubleheader featured a throw for the ages that nearly hit San Francisco's Miguel Tejada on the fly as he trotted around the bases. And yes, everyone's already made the obligatory "Rookie of the Year" reference. [via]

They didn't win anything at last night's NHL awards show, but the Blackhawks can take solace in their star power. Jonathan Toews and Patrick Kane finished 3rd and 4th, respectively, in jersey sales this season, trailing only Sidney Crosby and Alex Ovechkin. Marian Hossa (16) and Patrick Sharp (19) also made the list.

Good job, Chicago. We did so well hosting the McDonald's All-American Games in March that they're coming back to the United Center next year. We'll be the first city to host the nation's premier high school basketball all-star games in consecutive years.

The Cubs have reached a compromise with local officials to hold "block parties" on three big weekends this summer -- starting this weekend as the New York Yankees come to town. They won't block off Sheffield Avenue after all.

The Red Door Animal Shelter sponsors its annual Gimme Shelter! benefit walk for homeless animals this Sunday from 10am-noon at at Indian Boundary Park, 2500 W. Lunt. Food, entertainment, and a pet psychic are part of the fun.

After getting his second foul of tonight's playoff game against the Miami Heat, Bulls center Joakim Noah made Chicago proud and screamed "fuck you, faggot," to a heckling fan sitting behind him (video). The Bulls lost 96-85, and the Heat now has a 2-1 lead in the series. UPDATE: Noah has (sort of) apologized for his comments. UPDATE 2: And he's been fined $50,000.

Can Derrick Rose and the Bulls get past LeBron James, Dwyane Wade and the Heat? The NBA Eastern Conference Finals tips off Sunday night at the United Center and we've got nine thoughts to get you started.

The official "Derrick Rose MVP" T-shirts have hit the market, but it's hard to beat Nike's new "Hair-itage" collection of hirstute baseball players, including '80s vintage Andre Dawson and Ozzie Guillen.

Dave Duerson was right. He did have "moderately advanced" brain damage related to blows to the head, according to researchers who studied the former Bears safety's brain after he committed suicide in February.

Wear your Bulls gear and head into Sprinkles Cupcakes on Tuesday, May 3rd for a free cupcake! Fans sporting some swag get a red velvet treat that's sure to inspire some team spirit. The offer is good at the 50 E. Walton St. store from 9am-8pm tomorrow.

It's a great day for a bike ride -- and it just happens to be Critical Mass tonight. How convenient! Frequent GB contributor John Greenfield wrote a song to celebrate.

The song was recorded at Kidical Mass earlier this month. Kidical Mass is for the younger cyclists and their parents, and takes place on the second Saturday of every month. More info on thechainlink.org.

Looks like we might have women's professional soccer this summer after all. Four months after they suspended operations for the 2011 season, the Chicago Red Stars tweeted this afternoon that they're back: "We'll be playing this summer. Stay tuned."

Chicago earned a few mentions when MLB players told ESPN about their favorite and least favorite road trips. According to two rival players, we've got autograph hounds who will chase a player down Michigan Avenue, but Cubs fans are too busy drinking to recognize opposing players.

Eight months after Barack Obama hosted him on the White House basketball court, Derrick Rose is welcoming the president back to their hometown. The Bulls star and NBA MVP front-runner will attend the biggest (and least expensive) of three Obama fund-raisers set for Thursday in Chicago. Tickets for the 6:30pm event at Navy Pier's Grand Ballroom are $100 and $250.

Wrigley Field "attendance was more than four times more sensitive to beer prices than to winning or losing," UofC economist Tobias Moskowitz and Sports Illustrated writer Jon Wertheim find in their new book, Scorecasting.

At least some of this year's Cubs tickets have a somewhat dated photo of the Wrigley Field scoreboard on them -- featuring Corey Patterson up to bat in 2004. Adding insult to injury, the Cubs lost that game against the Cardinals. (Thanks, Veronica!)

Sun-Times photographer Tom Cruze got a little too involved in the action on the ice at the Blackhawks' game on February 20th, and his fellow photographer Nuccio DiNuzzo caught the moment in a snap. Like a true pro, he was back at work after some quick medical attention.

Twenty-eight years after his infamous rant about Wrigley Field fans (e.g., "Eighty-five percent of the fuckin' world is working. The other 15 come out here.") former Cubs manager Lee Elia can laugh about his place among the great meltdowns in baseball history.

Seven months after the Blackhawks won the 2010 Stanley Cup, no one has any idea what happened to the puck used to score the cup-winning goal. But that isn't stopping the CEO of Harry Caray's. He wants the trinket for his Navy Pier location and he's getting help in his quest from the Chicago FBI office.

Avoiding Ohio State football fans is usually a good idea, but it's especially important this holiday season. They're all riled up because the NCAA suspended five Buckeyes, including quarterback Terrelle Pryor, for selling their own jerseys and other memorabilia. Yes, the same NCAA that declined to punish Heisman winner Cam Newton.

In an unusual move representing the triumph of democracy and/or corporate ass-covering, Big Ten commissioner Jim Delany said today the conference might reconsider "Legends" and "Leaders," the widely mocked names unveiled four days ago for its new football divisions. Audio at WGNRadio.com.

It's getting colder, but you can actually enjoy the winter weather while gliding around on a smooth sheet of ice (and I don't mean while driving down your street). Up Chicago has a great little roundup of local (mostly free) ice skating rinks, which do exist outside of the Loop, you know. (via)

Since their Rex Grossman ...ahem... "led" Super Bowl season of 2006-07, the Bears faithful haven't had a whole lot to celebrate. No playoff appearances, and only one +.500 season since. Still, it's been a much better go of it than say, a Detroit Lions fan has had. Yet, one lone, 63 year-old Detroit Lions fan had the "gumption"/insanity to walk 425 miles from the Upper Peninsula to Lions training camp. Bears fans, consider the gauntlet thrown.

After six months of preparation, a cookbook will be released on Friday authored by none other than the Chicago Cubs. Chicago Cubs Cookbook features collected recipes and stories from players and coaches, and all proceeds will go to pitcher Ryan Dempster's foundation, dedicated to helping those with the rare DiGeorge syndrome.

Don't all of you rush to get your season tickets all at once after hearing this news. Yes, the Bulls have signed Turkish super-star center Omer Asik to an undisclosed contract. You can now go order your personalized "Asik" Bulls jersey on NBA.com.

Add another name to the list of free agents thinking about joining the Bulls this Fall. The Chicago Tribune reports that Dwyane Wade (a Chicago native) may be planning a visit with the Bulls early in his free agency period, which begins this Thursday.

The Gold Coast branch of Whole Foods brings back their Yoga on the Rooftop summer series: every Tuesday at 6pm, professional yoga instructors will help you increase strength and flexibility from the rooftop of 1 W. Superior. BYOYM (bring your own yoga mat).

From the New York Public Library's A. G. Spalding baseball photo collection, a picture of some baseball-playing Chicago gents from the good old, OLD days. More Chicago baseball memories can be found here.

This past Saturday, the near-undefeated Fury took home the Ivy King Cup, the highest achievement for local competitors in Windy City Rollers, Chicago's female roller derby league. They showed no mercy taking down underdogs the Double Crossers, ending the game with a score of 130-71.

Speaking of Michael Jordan, speculation is running rampant over the possibility that LeBron James could join the Bulls and usher in a new era of championships. The economic benefit? A UIC economist estimates as much as $2.7 billion.

Next Wednesday, June 2, Mahoney's will host the artist known as "Elliott from Art Beat" for a live painting of the Blackhawks logo during the Hawks' first Stanley Cup match. The painting will be auctioned off to benefit March of Dimes.

I'm not much of a sports fan, but it's hard to ignore the Lebron-in-Chicago chatter that's approaching a fever pitch, with even the President saying James would look good in red and black. The Sun-Times rained on everybody's parade by arguing the King will not, in fact, become a Bull any time soon, but a Bulls higher-up says he's interested in pursuring James. That's not daunting Chicago Facebook users who want to woo both LeBron and--why not?--Dwayne Wade to the Windy City.

The Fire are playing four games against teams from Chicago's sister cities this week. If you're a fan of European soccer, here's your best and cheapest opportunity to catch Paris Saint-Germain, Legia Warsaw and Red Star Belgrade live on the field.

After a stunning second-round loss for the NBA Championship contender Cleveland Cavaliers, all attention now shifts to where LeBron James will play next year. Chicago Bulls fans are going to make their voices known through the "Send LeBron to Chicago" campaign. Read an interview with the creator of this movement in Tailgate.

Well that didn't take long. After a record setting debut on Friday against the Reds in Cincinnati, things have not been so smooth for the 20-year old Cubs phenom Starlin Castro. His first taste of the Friendly Confines proved less than friendly last night. The savior of the team was actually booed by the home fans in his first game after accounting for three errors. Nobody said it was easy.

The $6.1 million left over from donations to the Chicago Olympic bid is funding World Sport Chicago's programs for inner-city kids. As the Sun-Times quips: "World Sport Chicago is the only remaining legacy of Daley's Olympic quest."

With only 38 days left until the 2010 FIFA World Cup in South Africa, Chicago is catching soccer fever. What better way to celebrate the international competition than by holding a mini-version? The 2010 Chicago World Cup will pit teams composed of international players against each other. Unlike the real thing, this one won't require a 20+ hour plane ride.

Today's noon Lunchbox chat on Vocalo is all about sports. Eat at your desk and talk Bulls, Blackhawks and baseball with Marcus Gilmer of Chicagoist, Rob Zibung of The Heckler, "Eight Forty-Eight's" Cheryl Raye Stout and our own Brian Lauvray from Tailgate.

Today's noon Lunchbox chat on Vocalo is all about sports. Eat at your desk and talk Bulls, Blackhawks and baseball with Marcus Gilmer of Chicagoist, Brad Zibung of The Heckler, "Eight Forty-Eight's" Cheryl Raye Stout and our own Brian Lauvray from Tailgate.

Wrigleyville tends to draw a vastbloggerpresence. But hey, what's one more URL to bookmark among die hard fans? Cubs Fan Report launched today as a collaborative of them all, as well as major news Cubs coverage.

The Verban Memorial Society, a bipartisan group in D.C. dedicated to supporting the Cubs, has inducted White Sox fan President Obama into its ranks. "'I know it will be hard for him to accept this accolade,' Mr. Durbin said. 'It's like telling him he was elected to the board of directors of the Republican National Committee.' Conservative columnist George Will, a Verban stalwart, says the president ought to embrace his induction. 'Diversity,' he says. 'It's a great liberal value.'"

...was a number one jam in 1988, which was the last time an American won gold at the Olympic Male Figure Skating competition. Big ups to Naperville's own Evan Lysacek (and Evanstonian Shani Davis, who recently won gold in speed skating).

ZombieFit is a parkour-based "functional fitness" program designed to have you ready for when the dead shall rise again. It's taught in St. Charles, which is far enough out of the city to give you a fighting chance for survival. [via]

Disgruntled fans hoping for wholesale changes on the Bears after a disappointing season are probably only a little happy this morning with reports that offensive coordinator Ron Turner (as well as a couple of other coaches) are on their way out the door at Halas Hall. Head coach Lovie Smith, however, appears to safe from the ax for now. Details in Tailgate.

ESPN Zone is the site for the ninth annual Chicago Ultimate Coach Potato competition on New Year's Day, pitting the best of the best...when it comes to sitting and watching sports. The minimal bathroom breaks give a whole new meaning to "bowl games." You can't tell the players without a scorecard.

ESPN Chicago has compiled a list of the top 10 most embarassing sports moments in Chicago this past year. We can quibble with a couple of them, but the No. 1 moment? Well, let's just say a certain Bears QB might even agree with that.

We tried to warn you. But did you listen to us? Nooo. You went ahead and watched the Bears game anyway. When you finally finish washing the awful out of your eyes, head over to Tailgate to help figure out what you saw and leave your eyewitness account of that carwreck.

As the Bears continue their descent into the NFL's basement, if ever there was a time for some Mike Ditka wisdom, it's now. And Tailgate's got it, thanks to Brian Lauvray's video interview with "Da Coach." Check it out and behold the power that is...Ditka.

Forget about Patrick Kane returning to the scene of the crime. Tonight's Blackhawks-Buffalo Sabres game is all about measuring how far the Hawks have come. Jeremy Piniak tells you what to watch for in Tailgate.

WBEZ web editor Justin Kaufmann is looking for Bears jokes (as if the team's play wasn't enough of a joke itself.) If you've got some, share then here. OK, two Bears walk into a bar...they forgot to duck. Hey-oooo!

Bears linebacker Lance Briggs has a (sort of) secret hobby, and he knows where to go to to get his sequential art fix. Listen here as he talks about growing up with comics, keeping that love alive in the NFL, and his fan site. GO BEARS! GO COMICS!

Ken Green wrote in Tailgate yesterday about the death of up-and-coming boxer Francisco "Paco" Rodriguez in a bout this weekend. While his death is tragic, it did have a silver lining: he was an organ donor, and gave a kidney to his uncle and other organs to at least seven people. Learn more here. [via]

The latest battle in the war against the Asian Carp invasion is a victory for the fish. Researchers have found DNA evidence that suggests members of the species are living beyond two electronic barriers built to keep them out of the Great Lakes.

The Chicago White Sox recently launched a new multimedia venture whose earnings will go to the team. The venture sets out to create "interactive digital" strategies for sports teams. Thus far SCV has made a digital network for the Bulls set to debut Thursday called "BullsTV."

Whether you're for Rio, Madrid, Tokyo, or Chicago, your Olympic fervor (and addiction to Twitter) could win you a trip to one of the finalist cities from travel social media app Where I've Been. Check Facebook for more details.

In honor of Michael Jordan's induction into the Basketball Hall of Fame tomorrow, ESPN has collected the 23 most memorable moments of his career. (Surprisingly, Space Jam is not included.) More in Tailgate.

The Olympic Committee released a "technical analysis" [PDF] of the four cities vying for the 2016 Summer Olympics. They noted concerns with Chicago's proposed financing, housing and transportation for the event.

This story contains nothing of obvious Chicago interest -- unless you're a Cubs fan. Then the idea of a goat potentially being sacrificed in connection with the Viking Brett Favre might make a little more sense. [via]

Looks like Chicago Fire defender Bakary Soumare will be bidding a not-so-fond adieu to the MLS and heading to France as the newest member of Boulogne. Soumare hasn't played or practiced with the Fire since an "incident" involving coach Denis Hamlett three weeks ago.

Blackhawks superstar Patrick Kane was arrested in Buffalo this morning for allegedly assaulting a cab driver and failing to pay the fare. Kane, 20, was in his hometown to announce funding to improve the local ice rink. Kane and a 21-year-old relative, who was also charged, are in holding.

Thinking about playing fantasy football this year? Check out Pyromaniacs, a new league by Chicago design firm Diet Strychnine. The player depictions and profile attitude might sway you from the standard ESPN leagues.

Coming in under the wire: The White Sox have traded for sought-after pitcher Jake Peavy from the San Diego Padres in a last-second deal made just before the end of the MLB trading deadline. More in Tailgate.

Jerry Reinsdorf, who already owns the Bulls and White Sox, is a little bit closer to adding some puck-wielding Coyotes to his stable after the NHL's unanimous approval of his bid. Don't worry Hawks fans, he plans on keeping the team in Phoenix.

The Chicago Force women's football team is headed to the playoffs -- but they need your help to get there. The team's travel budget is just about tapped, so they're asking for donations to help get the whole team to the conference championships in Kansas City July 11, and then hopefully the championship in Austin after that.

The Blackhawks pick up a top scorer from Detroit while the Bulls lose one...to Detroit. They say you can't tell the players without a scorecard but Tailgate is here to help with the arrival of Marian Hossa and the depature of Ben Gordon.

In what appears to be preparation for a successful Chicago 2016 bid, President Obama has announced the creation of the White House Office of Olympic, Paralympic and Youth Sport. The Office's stated goal is to "promote the values of the Olympic Movement" among young people in America (and maybe help to swing a few votes our way). [via]

In what may be the least-surprising disclosure possible to a lot of baseball fans, the New York Times reports that former Cubs slugger Sammy Sosa was one of the players who tested positive for a performance-enhancing drug during a league-wide testing in 2003. Oh, well, guess he has to put his Hall of Fame plans on hold indefinately.

Just in time for tonight's possibly over-hyped Cubs-White Sox crosstown showdown comes ESPN Chicago's list of the top five current players in the city. For those fans keeping track the final list includes three White Sox and two Cubs. If you disagree, vote for yourself.

There are few things as enjoyable as riding a bike through the streets of Chicago during the late nights of summer. The L.A.T.E. Ride organizes a community of cyclists to do just that. It is Chicago's only midnight bike ride, and it takes place this year on Saturday/Sunday, July 11/12. Early bird registration has ended, but you can still save $5 if you register by June 30.

Though times may be tough for local video game developer Midway Games, Chicago-based upstart Robomodo has been tapped to develop Ride, the latest entry in the highly successful Tony Hawk franchise. Tony showed off the game and its unique skateboard-shaped controller during the Xbox 360 press conference at E3 last week.

Iconic international football (soccer) franchise Manchester United has tabbed Chicago-based insurance company Aon as their new principal sponsor. Let's hope there's no curse associated with the honor, considering the fate that befell their old sponsor, a little company called AIG.

The state legislature recently gave bowling alleys protection against the scourge of bowling alley lawsuits. If the legislation passes, you won't be able to sue a bowling alley if you slip and fall wearing their "specialized footwear" after wearing the shoes outside. Rats.

In case you were wondering what that big roar was last night, that was a city collectively cheering for the Blackhawks who downed the Vancouver Canucks to advance to the Western Conference Finals for the first time since 1995. The young guns were led by Patrick Kane's hat trick. Now... bring on the Red Wings (maybe). Get more Hawk talk in Tailgate.

Chicag0 is the Chicago offshoot of SF0 (which originally started here, actually), a massive "collaborative production game" played online and off. They just completed a game last weekend; learn more and join before the next one's announced.

The Blackhawks turn back the Calgary Flames with a 4-1 victory Monday night to win their first-round NHL playoff series. It's the first time the Hawks have advanced to the conference semifinals since 1996. They now face the Vancouver Canucks in Round 2. While the dates haven't been set yet, here's something to get you in the mood.

When the soaring Blackhawks hit the ice tonight in the third game of their best-of-seven playoff series against Calgary, it'll be one more boost to their ever-growing fan base. Crain's Chicago Business' Ed Sherman explains.

Harry Kalas, Hall of Fame broadcaster of the Philadelphia Phillies, the voice of NFL films and Naperville native, died today after collapsing in the booth before a game. Anyone who has imagined them self in grainy slow motion catching a touchdown should take a moment.

The non-baseball-like weather has forced the postponement of the White Sox season opener vs. Kansas City at U.S. Cellular Field. The Cubs, meanwhile, are still a go for their season opener tonight in Houston. Ah, the benefits of a retractable roof stadium.

Ironically, a day after April Fool's Day comes a story that seems too hard to believe: The Sun-Times is reporting that the Bears have landed Jay Cutler, the highly-sought after disgruntled (former) Denver quarterback. They reportedy had to surrender a slew of draft picks and QB Kyle Orton, but hey... It's Jay Cutler!

Obama's love of Chicago sports reared its head again recently, as The Daily Show's John Stewart pointed out on last night's show (it comes at about the 2:00 mark). Let's just say the Bulls get a little spanking from Stewart and even the '85 Bears come under scrutiny.

If you or someone you know can't make it to the auto show, or if you're like me and just want to check out how crowded it is before you head down to McCormick Place, the show's website has virtual tours, photos and a live webcam.

Has Bulls GM John Paxson had enough? Maybe it's the team's 23-30 record. Maybe it was the booing he received at the team's recent tribute to Johnny "Red" Kerr. Either way, Pax is reportedly stepping down as the team's general manager.

What happens when you get a dozen fabulous female cyclists together in Chicago, introduce some introspection and give one of them a camera? The Thought You Knew Us Pinup Calendar, of course. Twelve Chicago cyclists, ranging from road warriors to bike messengers to everyday saddle lovers got together to explore public perception of women cyclists and to raise money for the Chicago Women's Health Center which keeps many of them on the road. Learn more, including where you can get your own here.

The White Sox have invited President Obama to throw the first pitch of their season. Seeing as they're going up against the Royals it's bound to be a good start to a good game...at least to us Southsiders.

The Ricketts family, led by local financier Tom Ricketts, have apparently placed the winning bid for ownership of the Cubs and Wrigley Field. A front-runner from the start, it looks like most hardcore fans will approve of the choice.

There's a movement afoot to get Cubs management to let one regular, non-celebrity fan sing "Take Me Out to the Ballgame" during the seventh inning stretch once a season. (Is that too much to ask?) Sign the petition here.

Even with their Playoff Express cleared for landing (thanks to losses by Dallas and Tampa Bay), the Bears still managed to crash and burn. Their loss to Houston knocked them out of the playoff picture and now the autopsiesbegin. But despite the disappointment, the Bleacher Report says we shouldn't have been surprised.

They were one of the better teams in the Arena Football League (most recently winning the 2008 Central Division), but now the Chicago Rush will be sitting on the sidelines with the rest of the AFL after the league shut down operations for the 2009 season. This leaves Chicago with only one indoor football team, the Chicago Slaughter, coached by one Steve "Mongo" McMichael, which should thrill '85 Bears fans.

On January 4, Wrigleyville denizens will have the opportunity to skate on the ice rink that will be constructed in Wrigley Field for the Winter Classic hockey game. The Cubs announced the event via e-mail to neighbors and neighborhood groups. A $10 ticket will get you one hour of ice time, but you have to bring your own skates. Update: Here's the link to the ticket information. Tickets go on sale at 10AM, Monday the 15th.

Yes, in the age of Wii and Golden Tee, people still play pinball. In fact there's a "tournament of champions" going on in Schaumburg this weekend. You can still enter so you may want to start loosening up those fingers.

Yes, the Bears won last night with a 27-24 victory over the New Orleans Saints. But they did so with another of their now-patented see-saw battles, bursting out of the gate and then struggling to win. Thank God for Robbie Gould, but can we have one sure-thing, blowout victory please?

A friend and fellow Cubs fan joked to me the other day he was re-thinking his vote because he's tired of seeing Obama in Sox gear on the national news. Yesterday, the President-Elect's press team miffed at least one reporter by nonchalantly invoking the rivalry.

Small consolation, we're sure, but Cubs manager Lou Pinella has been named NL Manager of the Year. Before some of you start wondering how (given the team's stupendous collapse in the playoffs), the awards are voted on before the post-season starts.

Washington Wizard Gilbert Arenas has some new ink: "'Change We Believe In' tattooed onto the fingers of his left hand in cursive writing," as well as 44 (Obama will be the 44th POTUS) on the outside of his pinky.

Tune in to WYCC at 6:30pm on November 9th for the premiere of Buck O'Neil and Black Baseball in Chicago. O'Neil was a Negro League player and coach and subsequently spent more than 30 years with the Cubs becoming the first black coach in the majors. More info at the Chicago Baseball Museum website.

Chicago 2016 is running a video contest starting today. Submit a video by Nov. 25 telling the world why Chicago should host the Games in 2016. Five finalists will be chosen by online vote and will be featured on NBC 5's "Chicago Today" show starting Dec. 1. The winner of the contest will receive fabulous prizes.

Runners in this year's Chicago Marathon were grateful for the added spirit (and plentiful water) offered by neighborhood spectators and volunteers. Lion dancers greeted runners in Chinatown, while Little Italy had cheerleaders and Pilsen's West 18th street had speakers playing Latin music.

The sports editor of The Vicksburg (MS) Post believes the Cubs' image will change for the worse if they ever win the World Series again, so Cubs fans should really "be careful what you wish for" when it comes to their team trying to shed that "loveable loser" moniker. If Cubs fans really cared what other people thought, I'm guessing there probably wouldn't be many Cubs fans out there.

It's been called "Wrigley Field North" for the way that Cubs fans take over Miller Park when their team plays there. That sort of exhuberance cost one man his job. But then he works for the Brewers so you can see where that might be a problem.

Needing one win in Minneapolis to maintain a hold on first place in the AL Central, the White Sox came up short, losing to the Twins 7-6 in 10-innings Thursday night and getting swept in three games. The loss dropped them out of first place. More in Tailgate.

In case you haven't heard, the Cubs are on the verge of moving a step closer to removing that 100-year-old World Series albatross from around their necks. With a win today (and a Milwaukee loss), they clinch a spot in the playoffs. But manager Lou Pinella says hold off on the champagne.

As if their recent up-and-down play weren't enough frustration for their fans, now comes word that Hurricane Ike has put the kibosh on the first two games of the Cubs-Astros series in Houston, which was to begin tomorrow. No word on Sunday's contest.

Alderman Fioretti is taking on the "metal bat cartel" by proposing a ban on the use of metal bats by those under 18. He says, "It's not a question of foie gras. That's what choice is. This is an issue of actual injury." Hm.

At present, there are no public appearances scheduled, but Michael Phelps will be in town on Wednesday to boost the city's bid for the 2016 Olympics. If you're a fan, perhaps staking out your local pool will help you catch a glimpse.

Reviled Sun-Times sportswriter Jay Mariotti quit yesterday, apparently in a spat over not getting to write this column about Obama dissing the Cubs. Read Ken Green's thoughts on it (and add your own two cents) in Tailgate.

Even if you're a newer scooter rider (scooterer?), you should make your way to Slaughterhouse XIV this weekend. It's one of the country's biggest scooter rallies, and for $5 you get access to all sorts of events and rides, starting Thursday at Delilah's. Mount up!

Love him or hate him (and from the looks of readers' responses most thought it was a mistake to print his columns in the first place), you won't have Jay Mariotti to kick around anymore, at least in print. He walked away from his Sun-Times gig yesterday. Might inter-office skirmishes be the reason?

Stir-Friday Night, Chicago's longstanding Asian-American improv troupe, debuted Horry Kow, That's Lacist! last Friday at Donny's Skybox Theatre in Pipers Alley, if you couldn't guess from the title, it touches on the infamous Fukudome shirts and other subtle and not-so-subtle forms of racism.

The Chicagoland Bicycle Federation is launching a new program called Sunday Parkways, which will give riders and pedestrians in Logan Square, Humboldt Park, Garfield Park, North Lawndale and Little Village the opportunity to bike through their neighborhoods on streets without cars.

No more tailgate? No, not this one, we mean the extended partying that goes on at the Soldier Field parking lot during Bears games. Beginning tomorrow night, the Bears say once the game starts, you'll have to put the booze and the brats away. Needless to say, fans are a bit miffed.

With the news of border raids, censorship and pollution dominating the Olympic experience so far, the competing athlete's stories are a little lost in the noise. Chicago has more than a few locals carrying the torch. They include a diver from the family that owns Cubby Bear and the only Mexican national team wrestler with a Polish name. The SunTimes has a round-up.

Chicago's favorite women on wheels, the Windy City Rollers, will be giving you a wake-up call when they appear on Fox News Good Day Chicago (Ch. 32) tomorrow at 8:10 and 8:30 a.m. They'll be skating around the newsroom promoting their upcoming match as well as "some other exciting news" according to their release. If you miss it, you can check it out on the Fox-32 website.

Good news from the world of local roller derby: Tequila Mockingbird (aka Tahira Johnson) has taken her first steps since being paralyzed from the neck down on Aug. 25, 2007 while skating for The Fury of the Windy City Rollers roller derby league. The progress is a testiment to Tequila's determination as well as the tireless fund-raising efforts of her fellow skaters. Read more about it here.

Evanston native and actor John Cusak swears he bleeds Cubbie blue...but he's learned to be flexible about liking the White Sox, especially after 2005. But we'll cut him some slack on being a "switch-hitter", especially since he has a connection to the Sox, cinematically speaking.

The State's bid to buy Wrigley Field from the Tribune failed to make it out of the infield in a clash over how to finance the deal. Does this open the door for Mark Cuban to buy the team and stadium lock, stock and barrel?

Chicago gets one step closer to hosting the 2016 Olympics tomorrow, as the International Olympic Committee narrows the list of potential cities from 7 to around 4. The short list, expected to include Chicago, will be announced tomorrow in a big ceremony in Athens, Greece and the winning city will be announced in October 2009. Yes, another 16 months of waiting....

Don Kalant, an oral surgeon from Naperville, is suing the Chicago Bulls for injuries he suffered at the hands of the team's mascot at a February game. During a spirited high-five with Kalant, Benny the Bull reportedly tripped and hyperextended Kalant's arm, rupturing his biceps muscle.

According to the U.S. Olympic Committee chief Peter Ueberroth (and he should know, right?), Chicago is "not anywhere near first" when it comes to the bidding for the 2016 Olympics. Think about it: it's possible we're pulling up the rear with Baku, Azerbaijan (whose name, ironically, means "windy city").

Bulls' star Ben Gordon, along with teammate Luol Deng, have been tapped by the Brits to play for their national team in the Eurobasket qualifying tournament, a springboard to 2012 Olympic Games. Why Gordon and Deng? Well, Deng moved to London to escape conflict in his native Sudan while Gordon was born in London but moved to the U.S. shortly afterwards.

Who knew? Industrial music godfather Al Jourgensen (Ministry) is a big Blackhawks fan. So big that he has written a new anthem for the team, "Keys To The City", that will debut on March 5. Jourgensen said he hopes the song "inspires some awesome fights on the ice."

You haven't seen a roller derby bout yet? Let's amend that ASAP. The Windy City Rollers, Chicago's all-girl roller derby league, has its first game of the 2008 season next Saturday, January 26. Check out their website for tickets and info.

Olympic coverage already seems plenty stale, but some important deadlines are coming up. The most significant date before the June decision on formal candidacy is the January 14th filing deadline for the vision, venues and budget. Prepare for the first real look at the plan and some serious politics.

A quick search for the word "Chicago" in the Mitchell Report on steroids in baseball yields these players who had stints with the Cubs or White Sox: Todd Hundley, Matt Franco, Rondell White, Glenallen Hill, Todd Pratt, Kent Mercker, Scott Schoeneweis, Jerry Hairston, Jr., and Jim Parque. The only thing we can fairly say at this time is that these people are named in the report. Cancelled checks, FedEx slips -- they've got the goods. Matt Karchner provided some snitch-alation. The word "Sosa" appears but once, in a note indicating that Mitchell wrote him a letter with specific questions. Sosa didn't write back.

The Tribune has compiled an extensive report of the 2007 season for the Mooseheart Red Ramblers. Complete in three parts, with supplemental video and photos. Suburban high school football at its most enthralling.

Retooling their lineup to try and get back to the World Series, the White Sox have shipped starter Jon Garland to the California Angels for shortstop Orlando Cabrera. The White Sox also get cash too, which should help the next time manager Ozzie Guillen gets fined.

The now annual Sadie Hawkins' Day Race & Style Ride is back again, November 10th. What is it? "Sadie Hawkins Day Race/Style Ride is an on-street, in-traffic, point-to-point bike adventure for couples or pairs... There are prizes for the fastest couple, fastest tandem team, fastest out of towners, best dressed, and more." Last year's inaugural event drew people from out of town, generated a ton of missed connections and suffice to say, there were a few couples that are still together to this day.

The head of the International Boxing Association is giving rave reviews to Chicago's hosting of the World Boxing Championships, calling them "the best ever." The hospitality he has received has prompted Dr. Ching-kuo Wu to say he'll support the city's bid for the 2016 Summer Olympics. And participating boxers were equally overwhelmed, although three could not be reached for comment. Um, you have gone to a match, right? If not, you have until Saturday, Nov. 3.

It's a little known fact that superstar NBA player Kevin Garnett credits his year at Farragut and streetball in Chicago with helping him develop into the player he is today. Even if you're not into sports, it's cool to hear him say "Chicago embraced me when they didn't have to ... [they] embraced a person who embraced them."

The local Patagonia store is holding a photo contest. Local photographers are invited to submit a photo of themselves or family members doing active outdoor activities -- while wearing Patagonia clothing, of course. Three finalists will be selected to compete nationally for a trip for two to Vietnam. Bring your 4"x6" prints to the store by Oct. 31.

The Chicago Park District is proposing building a sweet skate park near the Kennedy at Logan Boulevard in Logan Square. The park will feature10 ramps, benches and a drinking fountain. The tag is nearly half a million, but it's a small price to pay for reviving that blighted strip while giving skaters a place to show off.

The Chi-Town Sirens, Chicago's second roller derby team, never quite caught on and shut down after just two seasons. Rising from its ashes, though, is the Chicago Outfit -- the toughest, most committed of the Sirens, out to prove they're serious. They're having a costume party/open skate next week; details in Slowdown. (There's a Windy City Rollers bout this weekend, too!)

The human variety, not the canine. As part of a qualification tournament for the 2008 Beijing Olympics there will be a parade of boxers and their trainers next Monday, October 22 at 4 PM from the Palmer House to the Chicago Theatre. Any similarities between this event and the Olympics' opening ceremonies are purely intentional, as local Olympics boosters are hoping that this event will show the IOC that Chicago knows how to take care of international athletic competitions.

Didn't finish in the Chicago Marathon? Head on over to Denver. Runners who did not finish in the marathon here are invited to register for the marathon in Denver, happening this Sunday. Short notice, I know, but if you can get there you won't have to pay the entry fee.

Congrats to Jesse Rodriguez of Chicago, who was part of one of the winning teams in this year's World Cyber Games (an event which is, according to the Sun-Times, the gaming equivalent of the Olympics, so Chicagoans are already kicking butt in Olympics-like events). Jesse (or "AtmosFEAR", as he is known on the Internets) will share a $30,000 prize with his teammates.

Major League Baseball and the Cubs are sponsoring a rally tomorrow, at noon, in Daley Plaza to celebrate the Cubs' Central Division title. The Mayor and Governor are scheduled to attend, as are former players Billy Williams and Andy Pafko, among others. Of course, fans didn't need anyone to organize them a rally the night the Cubs clinched their postseason spot.

GB alumni and fellow teammate Luke Seemann recounts a hit-and-run during the team's weekly Saturday morning ride up to Highland Park and back on his excellent Chicago Bike Racing. Clearly an attack on the riders who were paying attention to the rules of the road, the culprit turned himself in and is now facing felony charges in court. Luke has further details on Thomas Lynch.

A donation fund has been set up for partially paralyzed Windy City Roller "Tequila Mockingbird," (previous coverage here, here) to help pay for her medical bills (she was uninsured). You can donate via PayPal to TheTahirahJohnsonTrust@gmail.com. All funds will be transferred directly into her North Community Bank trust account and are tax-deductible. (You can use that same address to send her well-wishings, too.)

Drive-Thru contributor Dana says, "I walked by the Andersonville location this morning and saw a sign in the window that said 'Cheetah Gym will be reopening under new ownership on Sept. 9.' Quick turn-around, huh?"

Who are the men and women who pour frosty tall boys at Wrigley Field, answering the call of "Hey, beer man!" during the baseball season? Wrigley Beer Vendors has the answer, with 63 vendors profiled in a neat baseball card format. Can you do this?

Gapers Block just received word that Saturday night's Windy City Rollers bout was cut short by an incident that left Fury player Tahirah Johnson, aka Tequila Mockingbird, with a fractured cervical vertebra. She was rushed to surgery to relieve pressure and hopefully save her from paralysis. We'll keep you posted as details come in (below the break -- click on "More"); The WCR message board is another good place to watch for updates.

Update 8/26 afternoon: No news on Johnson's condition post-surgery, but we've been told that she regained some feeling and control over her left arm before surgery, so there's hope that it means she'll have an effective recovery.

Update 8/27: WCR released this statement today:"We understand and are grateful for everyone's concern regarding Tequila's injuries. At this time we'd like to respect Tequila and her family by not releasing any information without their permission, but please know that Tequila is in the best of care at one of the top hospitals in the city.

"As soon as we have information to make available, including where folks can send well-wishes, we'll do so.

"Thanks again for your concern, and please thank our medical staff when you get the chance. They truly did an amazing job making sure Tequila stayed safe and cared for."

The "Will He Stay or Will He Go" debate that has swirled around White Sox pitcher Mark Buehrle has finally been resolved with a contract extension. No word about what White Sox fans are left to talk about now.

Since we're on the subject of cornhole, you might want to check out ChicagoCornhole.com. The tournament they set up at Pizza Fest was fun, but take some friendly advice and get some practice in first if you don't want to get owned. I know...ahem...from experience.

A revolt is underway in the suburbs. The target: new sidwalks. After all, with sidewalks, "who knows what you'd be encouraging to come through?" The Trib's online readers are having none of it, with approximately 90% saying sidewalks in neighborhoods are "a positive addition."

Saturday marks the 133rd running of the Kentucky Derby (as well as Cinco de Mayo), and if you like double-fisting mint juleps and margaritas, there are plenty of bars that can accommodate you. If you want to get out to the track, but can't afford the bus fare to Louisville, however, you can take advantage of a coupon for free admission to Arlington Park racetrack in today's Red Eye, just outside the city limits, and on the Metra rail.

This week's Time Out also has an interesting article about the park's brand new state-of-the-art track, designed to keep the horses healthy (after several were fatally injured last year).

Chicago sports fans really had something to cheer about this weekend. The Cubs, the Bulls and the Fire all defeated the defending champions of their respective leagues. Unfortunately the Cubs victory is tinged with sadness; the last game of their series was canceled due to the Cardinal family's loss of pitcher Josh Hancock in a car crash.

And onto this new web site: Out of the Ballpark is "the everything that's close to Wrigley Field guide" that boasts info on dining "beyond peanuts," a handy shopping guide for folks who aren't looking just for jerseys and ballcaps, maps and travel guides and more. Great for out-of-towners and locals alike.

The city's charming gangster past is further commemorated in RuneSoft's Chicago 1930 game, which now offers any interested parties (with Macs) a demo that "impresses with very detailed and varying backdrops offering dark courtyards and dubious brothels as well as monumental buildings of large towns."

Chicago has been picked over Los Angeles by the US Olympic Committee as their preference for hosting the 2016 Olympics. Now we have to persuade the International Olympic Committee that we are worthy. We've got a while to make our case, though; the final decision won't be made until October 2009.

What else can you say on Opening Day? For those of you looking for some diversions this afternoon, the White Sox are playing Cleveland on the South Side & the Cubs are playing in Cincinnati. Both games are at 1PM. Neither team is going to go 162-0 this season, but for a few more hours it remains a mathematical possibility.

Chicago Bulls center Ben Wallaceis joining the affordable sneaker movement with his new shoe "the Big Ben" expected to be available in the fall and to retail for $15. The shoes look to have all the popular features of today's modern athletic footwear sans the markup.

A commemorative wristwatch from the 1940 NFL championship, where the Chicago Bears beat the Washington Redskins 73-0. The watch, originally given to Bears fullback Gary Famiglietti, recently turned up in the personal effects of a northwest suburban man who died in November. The Sun-Times reports that one interested buyer is of course the Chicago Bears, who would love to have this piece of team history.

In 2005, Adam Greenberg was called up to the Chicago Cubs from a farm team in Tennessee. During his first-ever MLB at-bat, he was struck in the head by a 90 MPH fastball. This week's New York Times Magazine looks at what he's doing now.

In last night's surprising game between Duke and VCU, former Glenbrook North High standout Jon Scheyer took one hard to the face. Duke was ousted, Scheyer was bloodied, and lots of betting pools were hosed. (Awesome bloody photo here.)

If you haven't yet read this week's Hoops in Five, it's mostly about the NCAA Tournament. For those interested in that sort of thing (and who doesn't fill out a bracket, really?) join the Gapers Block pool. The winner will be announced on the site, and receive both my admiration and a moderately exciting prize!

The Windy City Rollers, Chicago's first all-girl flat-track roller derby league, has announced bout dates for the 2007 season. All bouts are held at The Stadium in Cicero (1909 S. Laramie). Check here to buy tickets, or for a list of ticket vendors.

Earlier this month we mentioned the new ads in the outfield at Wrigley. Baseball parks have sported ad signage since the turn of the century, but if you really loved those green doors, you can join the other petition signers at Savewrigley.com.

The Windy City Rollers need new shirts and they want you to design them. That's right, enter your design idea for a new WCR League shirt before March 21st and you could win a butt-load of prizes, not to mention be responsible for helping our own bad girls of the flat-track look their best.

The annual tradition of Irish men beating each other up is just around the corner. Undefeated Chicago light heavyweight "Irish" Mike Nevitt will face fellow Irishman Shawn Hammack in the main event at March Mayhem, "Chicago's annual St. Patrick's Day professional boxing event" on Friday, March 16th, at Cicero Stadium. Full card details in Slowdown.

If you took our suggestion to heart and are trying to find ways to look the part for the US Olympic Committee's scout team, you might want to head over to Marsh...er, Macy's and check out the new official "Chicago 2016 Shop".

Quick, everybody, look athletic! A scout team for the US Oympic Committee is in town on a two-day visit to Chicago to hear city officials' arguments as to why we should host the 2016 Olympics. On April 14, the committee will vote between Chicago and Los Angeles, and then the winner of that vote goes on the short list of world cities in the running (a list that also includes Rio de Janeiro, Tokyo and Madrid), and then the actual winner is announced in October. Of 2009. That's right, the Olympic committees still have two more years of looking at cities, but at least by April we'll know if Chicago is in the finals.

Have you always wanted to be on a derby girl's chest? Don't be silly -- of course you have. And here's your chance. Chicago's own babes-on-skates, the Windy City Rollers, have announced a t-shirt
contest. The winning t-shirt design will be featured WCR merch and sold at the 2007-08 bouts as well as online. But the sweet goodness doesn't stop there. Check here for all the
guidelines and specifications and a full list of the booty. Deadline for entries is March 19 at 10am.

There's a great story on NBA.com about Bulls legend Johnny "Red" Kerr. He recounts their early days as an expansion team, sheds light on the origins of the Michael Jordan ritual of clapping resin in Kerr's face before each game, and list his top 5 Bulls moments (with links to video).

Calling all Cubs fans: if you've got a wristband for single ticket sales, the Cubs announced this morning that "Wrigley Field is currently servicing wristband numbers between 06779 and 09000." If your wristband is between these numbers you should report to Gate K on Waveland Avenue immediately. You've got until 5 PM. If you've got 06777 (06778 was not distributed), call WGN-- Old Style wants to reward you for losing and give you a ticket to the home opener.

Single-game tickets for the Cubs 2007 season go on sale Friday morning, and if you didn't get a wristband today, you might as well prepare to dedicate a browser tab for the Virtual Waiting Room and see what's left when your number comes up. (Alternately, you could buy single-game Sox tickets right now.)

Tonight's the night for Chief Illiniwek's last performance, during the halftime at the Illinois-Michigan game. After the Chief is retired, the Illini logo featuring the chief will eventually also be retired, although the State Journal-Register reports that the school is trying to develop a phase-out plan to make sure the logo doesn't fall into disuse and enter the public domain, allowing any old manufacturer to use it on their products. In the meantime, the Illini gear with the chief logo is flying off the shelves at the school's store.

ah one....ah two....ah three.......Cub Fans and Bud Men from Liechtenstein to Malaysia are participating in a worldwide drink-a-thon in honor of Harry Caray. Ground zero is Harry Caray's Restaurant downtown, of course. Broadcast live right now.

With less than 50 days to go before opening day, you can start getting ready for baseball on the southside by checking out cartoonist Carl Skanberg's Palehose 7. It's a more modern look for our heroes who were last seen sailing the south (side) seas in search of (more) baseball championship treasure.

Scott Wiese of Decatur signed a pledge before the Super Bowl that if the Bears lost, he would change his name to Peyton Manning. A man of his word, Wiese went to the Macon County courthouse on Tuesday and filed the name change paperwork.

Mayor Daley laid out his spread for the traditional friendly wager between mayors of Super Bowl cities today, and it's a doozy. Daley's not worried, though, warning Indy mayor Bart Peterson that he's won bets with the mayors of five other cities in the last year and a half. While we wait for Peterson to ante up, the cities' theaters are getting in on the action as well. Bailiwick artistic director David Zak announced a bet with Bryan Fonseca of Indianapolis's Phoenix Theatre: ten tickets to Bailiwick's upcoming US premiere of Jerry Springer: The Opera if the Colts win, and ten comps to Phoenix's world premiere And Her Hair Went With Her for a Bears win.

MidwestBusiness.com's Brad Spirrison proclaims his love of RexGrossman.com. It's a decent site, but you'll want to turn down your speakers, or you'll be treating the office to "Sexy Rexy's Back." (By the way, you *really* don't want to visit sexyrexy.com -- unless you want your IT department flagging you for visiting a pr0n site.)

The New York Times goes above and beyond once again, this time to find out where the respective territories of Bears and Colts fans merge into one blue-and-orange and blue-and-white slurry of some Bear/Colt hybrid creature. The answer: Rensselaer, Indiana. And they're pumped for Sunday.

An oversized fiberglass Bears helmet cracked while being placed on one of the Art Institute Lions. Perhaps the lions--who have designations rather than proper names--are secret and disgruntled fans of a certain Michigan team.

It's winter. Darn near February, too. And if you don't yet have one of those deep-purple, painful-to-the-touch, entire-buttock bruises acquired after an icy slip-and-fall, then now is your chance to get one. And you can have fun while doing it, too! Yes, it's broomballseason in the icy north, folks. So put on that third layer of sweatpants and get out to Warren Park for everyone's favorite coed winter sport. Seasons start on February 6 and 15. Registration information here, or call 773-866-2955.

Not wanting to cheat her husband Mark of the joy of seeing the Bears trounce the Saints at Soldier's Field, Colleen Pavelka of Homer Glen induced labor on Friday rather than risk giving birth during the big game. "I thought, how could (Mark) miss this one opportunity that he might never have again in his life?" said Pavelka, 28, who is now undoubtedly prayed to as a fertility goddess by legions of male Bears fans.

It's a relatively minor entry on the list of reasons why the Bears' trouncing of the Saints yesterday, and their impending trip to Super Bowl XLI, is freaking awesome. But it still warms my heart to reread Jay Mariotti's column from yesterday's Sun-Times—while I'm glad he's healthy enough to be writing again, his pessimistic, ripjob game preview is classic back-and-forth bombast, negative enough that Mariotti could say he told us so if the Bears lost, but never outright predicting they would. Expect Mariotti's next column to claim he knew all along the Bears would dominate the Saints—and the one after that to proclaim they can't possibly beat the Colts.

If you thought the Harlem Globetrotters were actually from New York, you're totally wrong, friend. Today's Trib has a story on the South Side roots of the Washington Generals' sworn enemies, chock full of history and trivia (Meadowlark Lemon's real first name? George). Basketball's goodwill ambassadors are playing at the United Center on Saturday and two games at the Sears Centre on Sunday.

The latest news in the Chief Illiniwek saga is that the Ogala Sioux Tribe, which provided the U of I with the mascot's costume in 1982, is now asking for the costume back. The issue will be taken up by university trustees after the tribe sent its resolution to the school yesterday.

The only thing stronger than a smoking ban: the Bears' chance at the Super Bowl. Three Chicago suburbs are considering a temporary lift on the ban to review the impact the ban's having on the local economy -- and to allow bars and restaurants to permit smoking in their businesses during the Bears game on Sunday and the Super Bowl.

After last year's small success in Chicago, we've heard word that the Bicycle Film Festival will be back again. Currently, founding director Brendt Barbur and co are looking for new submissions for the 2007 round of film festivals set to take place in up to 15 cities: "We are looking for films with a strong theme or character of bicycles. This includes all mediums and styles such as animation, experimental, narrative, documentary and music videos." The deadline is February the 17th so you have about a month to get going or fine-tune that piece you've been working on. Details at the site or take a look at the flyer here.

A group of Chicago cyclists (myself being one of them) have organized a ride to raise awareness of the growing number of cyclist fatalities in the Chicagoland area. Named the "Fallen Rider Memorial Ride", the ride will start at the Thompson Center at 6pm tomorrow, January the 3rd and will ride to Diversey and Pulaski at an easygoing and respectful pace. The goal? To highlight how important driving and cycling are to Chicago and how the two require attention and respect. A PDF flyer can be viewed, downloaded, printed and passed along from here.

The house of Chicago Bears defensive linebacker Tank Johnson was raided today. No one's talking about what went down, but a man was led from the home in handcuffs and "items sought in the warrant were recovered inside the home." [Update: Johnson has been charged with firearms violations.]

Peter Bernstein's fifteen-year statistical analysis of the relationship between the Cubs' winning records and the yearly increase in ticket prices suggests that after the abysmal 2006 season, prices should remain basically the same next year. I'm willing to bet that between the Tribune Company's woes and the front office's free-spending offseason activity, the statistics won't hold.

The Bulls certainly did just that in their 108-66 destruction of the defending champs. It was the worst performance ever by a defending champ on opening night. Chicagoans better have room in their diet to be excited about both the Bears and Bulls. Bulls in Five will return this Monday for its sophomore season.

Sadie Hawkins is a fictional day from a L'il Abner strip. However, it is now also a bike race organized to encourage women of all kinds who ride bikes to come out and race for fun, as well as to benefit the Chicago Women's Health Center. There's a pre-race fashion party on Friday, Nov 10th in the Fulton Markets with the race happening on Nov 11th, followed with a post-party the same day. Want to race? Want to have fun? Check out the myspace.

Robert Cheruiyot, the Kenyan runner who won Sunday's Chicago Marathon but slipped & fell right at the finish line, was released from the hospital this morning after sufficiently recovering from the head injuries he sustained in his fall. A championship ceremony is happening downtown right now to celebrate his win, and he's expected to make a full recovery.

Or as Crain's puts it, Holy cow! For the first time in recent memory, the Sox beat the Cubs in overall TV ratings on WGN, WCIU and Comcast Sports Net. The Cubs still sold more tickets than the Sox; of course that was mostly at the beginning of the season...

I love the current energy behind women's sports here in Chicago. I only wish I was a little more coordinated to do something like tryout for a women's professional tackle football team. The Chicago Force is ready to get next year's team signed up and in practice. Cause next year is the year we win!

You know you don't want to miss the Windy City Rollers' second-season playoffs this Sunday, with the Double Crossers vs. The Fury and Manic Attackers vs. Hell's Belles, plus halftime hula hoop hijinks by Hoopafreaks. But how do you get out to Cicero Stadium if you're carless? Appropriately enough you can take the oh-so-delicate Pink Line (the stadium is two blocks north of the 54/Cermak station), or for five bucks you can get on the WCR party bus from Liar's Club. Bout details in Slowdown.

Anybody out there a hockey fan? Gapers Block is looking for a columnist to write Blackhawks (and possibly Wolves) in Five for our popular Sports in Five column. Email your application with a couple sample items to ah@gapersblock.com.

At last night's White Sox/Twins game, an unidentified man in a White Sox jersey deflected a White Sox ball at the end of the game, resulting in a fan interference call and giving the game (and the AL wild-card lead) to the Twins. So if you see someone you don't know in a White Sox shirt, that's probably the guy!

Tomorrow night at 6pm, the Congress Theater is hosting a Lucha Libre wrestling match featuring La Parka and Super Astro versus Blue Panther and Tarzan Boy. For free! How can you pass it up? Check out the Congress website to sign up for free tickets.

In the end and despite all the hullabaloo preceding them, the Gay Games were evidently successful: Crain's reports that attendance exceeded expectations by 40%, and event chair Kevin Boyer tells Pink News that "Chicagoans made up the largest number of the spectators."

The Sporting News has named Chicago "America's top sporting city" in their annual poll thanks, in part, to the Sox's World Series win and the postseasons of the Bears and the Bulls. Boston, Mass was the winner for the past two years.

In a move to boost Chicago Public Schools' attendance rates, the district has partnered with sports teams, radio stations, and even Southwest Airlines for the Back to School Sports Challenge. While some prizes will be handed out just for attendance, essayists can win a trip to Disney World or a chance to be a DJ on Power 92. So, kids, see how rewarding staying in school can be?

It's not just the Gay Games that closed this weekend. Nope, a lower profile competition has been taking place over the past few weeks, one that did not feature Cyndi Lauper serenading its participants: the North American Bridge Championships ran from the 13th through yesterday, ultimately being won by what the Times calls "pretournament favorites." (Like you, perhaps, I have no idea what those results mean, but way to go, winners!)

Everyone knows the old adage, making fun of a bad referee by calling them blind. In the case of Bolingbrook's James Filson, he sort of is. Filson lost vision in one of his eyes in 2000, but continued to referee Big Ten Football games for five years. Filson is suing the Big Ten after being fired in 2005. He says he has the ability and right to referee the games and cites his selection to referee the Orange Bowl as proof of his quality performance.

Cubscast, your source for Wrigley-related podcasting, is running a listener drive: go get 20 free Cubs postcards to pass out to your friends. Take pictures of them with their cards and you could win a video iPod. In related news, Chicago Sportscast Network is looking for some Blackhawks fans to do a podcast at Hawkscast; check the site for details and an app.

While temps are forecast to come down a bit as the week progresses, right now it's miserable just walking down the block. Imagine, then, that you're one of the athletes who's come half-way around the world to compete in the Gay Games triathlon or soccer or, well, take your pick really. Those folks need water to keep going, and any way you can help will be appreciated. Local businesses and individuals that can assist in the hydration effort should contact Sam Coady at 773/551-1622. Or, take the initiative and show up at the venues with water / ice / sports drinks to donate. More information on locations, schedules etc. at the website.

Okay, okay, I'm trying not to harp on the Gay Games, but this is honestly one of the biggest events Chicago's seen in years (and a serious trial run for the city's 2016 Olympics hopes). It's so big, in fact, that we couldn't possibly list all of the events or even the highlights here in Slowdown; instead I'll just direct you to the schedules at the Games' site and let you know that most events are free, but tickets for those that require them can be purchased online or at the HotTix locations at the Chicago Tourism Center (72 E Randolph), the Water Works Visitor Center (163 E Pearson) and the North Shore Center for the Performing Arts in Skokie. Have a gay old time.

Earlier this year, A.J. Pierzynski ended up on GQ's list of the 10 Most Hated Athletes. Today, as the Sox face the Yankees, the New York Times delves into why, concluding that, for better or worse, and sometimes for both, "in a reality television sort of way, he might be watched more than any player in Chicago."

Back in the day, several organizations representing religious conservatives made waves about boycotting corporate sponsors of the Gay Games, scheduled to start in Chicago this weekend. According to MarketWatch, it was all for naught. Meantime, yesterday the mayor encouraged local support and spectatorship, suggesting that the event's success could bode well for the city's nascent Olympics bid.

The Red Sox haven't made the past few games at the Cell very fun (maybe this afternoon'll be different?), but PETA says those looking for healthy stadium fare have reason to be happy: the animal rights organization listed US Cellular Field among this year's Top 10 Vegetarian-Friendly Ballparks.

The city is piloting a program at Foster Avenue Beach to see if Wild Goose Chase's border collies can scare away sea gulls. Fewer gulls means fewer bird droppings, and the city hopes that fewer bird droppings will lead to lower e. coli levels in Lake Michigan. Here's to actually swimming at our beaches!

A few years ago, it was Da Bull in trouble with the law, having been charged with marijuana possession. Now, it's Benny the Bull's turn. The big red mascot was arrested for allegedly punching an off-duty cop after being stopped for riding a small motorcycle through the Taste of Chicago. I bet the San Diego Chicken never had 'cuffs on.

Move over and maybe out, Tyson Chandler: Ben Wallace is coming to the Chicago Bulls. Wallace has reportedly signed with the Bulls for $60 million over four years. The four-time defensive player of the year should fill every defensive expectation fans had for Chandler over the years and bring a true veteran superstar to the team. This move instantly makes the Bulls real contenders in the Eastern Conference.

The Windy City Rollers are offerering you quick and direct access to the bout in Cicero and after-party at Liars Club. For a measly $5, you don't have to spend money on gas, get mildly frustrated with other drivers or worry about finding that primo parking spot. Meet up at Liars Club at 2 p.m. on Sunday, July 9th, and then head over to the bout at 4 p.m. Then hop on board for the after-party! Buy tickets now.

Last night, tragedy befell the Northwestern University family as football coach Randy Walker died of an apparent heart attack. Walker was only 52 years old and was about to enter his eighth season at NU. He had recently been granted a contract extension through 2011 for his stellar work in leading NU to 14-10 conference record over the past three years. No information on services or donations to the family has been noted.

No one can support the recent language chosen by Sox' Manager Ozzie Guillen to describe Sun-Times columnist Jay Marriotti. A lot of Chicagoans, however, can and do support the sentiment. Jaythejoke.com's purpose is to expose Marriotti as a fraud and unite Cubs' and Sox' fans in mutual dislike for the controversial columnist. The new-ish blog was featured in a recent Tribune column.

The success of the White Sox and the dismal collapse of the Cubs have had effects far beyond the MLB standings: in some cases, it's turning family members against each other as the South Siders draw not-so-die-hard Cubs fans into their fold. In Richard Roeper's new book, Sox and the City, he has a word for them: biSoxual. Watch this page for an mp3 of Roeper's appearance on 848 this morning discussing the potential sea change in the Sox' fandom fortunes. (Thanks, Roni)

Remember when you played kickball in gym and the artsy kids and the nerds always got picked last? Well, so do ThreeWalls Gallery, StopSmiling Magazine and Bad at Sports, and they're gonna show you what you missed out on this Saturday, July 1, from noon till 6pm at the Wicker Park kickball field. Four teams (The Mullets, the West Town Banditos, Record Players and the West Loop Flyers) will compete for the ArtLeague Kickball championship trophy. Afterparty and awards ceremony at Smoke Daddy. More details in Slowdown.

AfterElton.com runs an interview with Greg Couch today in which he describes himself as "disgusted" by the way the press and others have turned the 'Ozzie Guillen said something he shouldn't have' issue into a 'Jay Marriotti brought it on himself' issue. Couch was one of few reporters to call foul on the Sox manager for using "fag" as a slur; he says, "I'm just doing what I'm supposed to."

That is, at least, according to a survey compiled by the firm that completed Mayor Daley's political polling. The survey shows that nearly 80% of Cook County residents want Chicago to host the games. With the need for a stadium larger than Soldier Field to host, the idea of a collapsible stadium has gained steam. As to what a collapsible stadium really is? That's anyone's guess.

Dear "Those People," I wasn't talking about you when I used an anti-gay epithet earlier this week to describe someone I don't like. I was just using it to question his courage and manliness; you know how it is. So, yeah, we cool? -- Ozzie

What does it mean for the White Sox manager, speaking in a relatively official capacity, to call a reporter a "fag"? While the organization's VP of communications calls it "insensitive," Sun-Times columnist Greg Couch seems more apt to call it inexcusable.

On the train to downtown this morning I saw a couple people carrying skateboards but didn't think much about it. Then I found out that today is Wild in the Streets, an annual global skating event. Today in Chicago, a large group of skateboarders will be meeting at Buckingham Fountain to skate through downtown Chicago to thank the city for planning to build a new skating area in Millennium Park. The event begins at the fountain at 2:00 PM, all skaters are welcome, and to try and draw a huge crowd the organizers of the event will be bringing some members of Emerica's skate team. So if names like Andrew Reynolds and Ed Templeton get you all excited, you know where you gotta be today.

Local ultracyclist Bryce Walsh is competing in the grueling Race Across America (RAAM) and doing pretty well. He's in fifth place as he crosses the Rocky Mountains. (How grueling? "Riders consume 6,000-8,000 calories a day of food and take in [3.1 - 4 gallons of fluid]..." and "serious solo contenders planned to average of 90-120 minutes sleep in each 24-hour period during their ride." Whoa.)

Franklin Foer, author of How Soccer Explains the World: An Unlikely Theory of Globalization, is blogging the World Cup for the New Republic online. And, he's getting a little help from his friends, including critically acclaimed Chicago author--and football fan--Aleksandar Hemon.

I know where I'll be every Sunday this summer--making a fool out of myself at beach volleyball! But if you are more serious and want to join a league, you can do it here. There are even co-ed teams if you want to, y'know, meet people.

Friends and Chicagoans Andrea and Ira saved money for a year, resigned from their jobs and left for the open road a little over a week ago. On their bikes. They're riding around the country for a year. You can keep up to date and check up on them as they post on the road from the weblog. Earlier posts are informative — lots of information on prepping for such an adventure. I'm jealous too — they look insanely happy.

In light of recently alleged attempts by Cubs management to intervene in Tribune coverage, Steve Rhodes of the Beachwood Reporter sounds off on the conflicts of interest endemic to a media outlet owning a sports team. (He comes to some harsh conclusions. The words "misguided and mediocre management" get used. For both the team and the paper.)

After the Chicago marathon every year (as a spectator), I see those LaSalle mylar blankets and think, "Man, I could never run a marathon!" But au contraire: the Chicago Area Runners Association sponsors an 18-week traning program (starting at the end of June) that will get you ready to run 26.2 miles with the best of 'em. See their site for more info.

The Associated Press reports that Northwestern has suspended its women's soccer team in light of hazing allegations. Website BadJocks.com posted a number of photographs it attributes to "a public picture sharing site," and the story develops.

Mike Colbern, a Chicago White Sox catcher in 1978-79, and two other baseball players filed a lawsuit claiming that Major League Baseball was committing "reverse discrimination" for giving about two dozen Negro League players pensions and medical benefits. A federal appeals court ruled last week that the players from the Negro Leauges were entitled to continue receiving payments while white players who didn't meet MLB's length-of-play requirements were not. The judge ruled that there was no unfair treatment and even if there was, MLB has the right to make up for past injustices.

After 30 years, Sun-Times sports columnist Ron Rapoport wrapped up his career earlier this month. In an interview with Scott Simon, he looks back on some of the greater (and the smaller) moments of the past three decades.

This weekend will bring the annual opening day at Arlington Park. In addition to races, "southern fried rock", and the usual fun that accompanies horse races, the park is also hosting a hat contest to compete with the famous haberdashery found at that other race in Kentucky. Show up on Saturday with a "fashion hat" and you're eligible for a trip to Kentucky, not to mention free admission to watch the ponies...

Sumo wrestling is finally escaping its Japanese borders and making a push into the States with the new World Sumo League, run by the WWE's ex-CFO. How much fun will it be to watch mountainous men push each other around inside a circle? We'll find out May 27, when the national tour hits the Allstate Arena. Tickets go on sale this Friday; follow the phenomenon at WorldSumoLeague.com, an unofficial site run by local blogger Matt Maldre.

There's a lot of potential writing jobs out there for those who like talking about localsports teams, including new ones like the Chicago Machine, our newly formed professional men's lacrosse team. They're looking for a writer, so if you know your lacrosse facts, let them know. Or if you want to be a part of their dance team, they're looking for some of those positions as well.

Reader Kurt writes, "I probably shouldn't be telling anyone about this since it just means 'competition,' but I'm feeling generous." The Cubs will be holding a "garage sale" this Saturday from 8am to 4pm. Available items will include Wrigley Field bricks, sections of the old bleachers, game-used equipment, and Kerry Woods' arm. Proceeds will go to charity.

With baseball back in full swing and both Chicago teams looking good, it's time to check in on the sports blogs. The aptly-named Agony & Ivy is a well-written one-year-old Cubs diary written mainly by a Chicago ex-pat living in Austin. South Side Sox provides trenchant daily analysis of the World Series champs. What about our other summer sports? Any Chicago Fire sites with breathless reports on the new Bridgeview Stadium? And who'll have the first blog about the Chicago Sky?

The Gay Games will open at Soldier Field on July 15, three months from tomorrow. Accordingly, tomorrow's the last day for registration before late fees start kicking in. With 10,000 competitors from 45 countries already signed up, director Brian McGuinness says rates thus far have exceeded expectations. In the end, organizers anticipate 12,000 athletes, as well as coaches, fans and families, will participate in the event.

West Point womens' basketball coach Maggie Dixon was remembered at a memorial service yesterday in North Hollywood, California after dying last week of a sudden arrythmic episode. The ceremony was attended by 1200 mourners, including the basketball teams of both West Point and DePaul, where Dixon was an assistant coach for five years before being named head coach for Army just before the start of the last season. After a 5-7 start, Dixon took the Army team to a 20-11 record and the Patriot League championship, earning West Point its first-ever appearance in the womens' NCAA tournament last month. She and her brother Jamie, the mens' coach at Pitt, became the first brother and sister to coach in the NCAA tournament in the same year. Jamie, 11 years her elder, said Tuesday, "I've said this before—when I grow up I want to be just like her." Maggie Dixon will be buried Friday at West Point; she was 28.

The City Council of far northwest suburb Crystal Lake last night approved by a 6-1 vote the request by the organizers of this summer's Gay Games to hold a rowing event on the lake, a matter which came undercontention in hearings before the Crystal Lake Park District last month and brought national attention to McHenry County. Last night's council meeting featured many supporters and only one resident speaking against the event, who told WGN News that "I don't hate gay people; I just think it's a gay agenda event." The Games still need to gain the approval of neighboring township Lakewood, which shares jurisdiction of the man-made lake.

Forget about the Bears, I'm talking about the Force, the Chicago Force. In a move that makes me tickled pink, these kick-ass and ass-kicking women are going to be hosting this season's wins at the Lane Tech Stadium at 2501 W. Addison (on Addison near Western). The season opener is April 29th at 3pm, order your $8 tickets online.

Cubs fans have touted their ballpark as old fashioned and advertising-free for years, but that image took a major hit as the Cubs signed a deal with Anheuser-Busch. The bleachers have always had a major presence from Bud Light, but now it's official: they've been named the Bud Light Bleachers.

While cold Soldier Field will never host a SuperBowl, and the United Center won't be hosting a Final Four anytime soon, Chicago (more specifically Rosemont) will be hosting a major sporting event this Sunday. OK, technically it's sports-entertainment, but Wrestlemania 22 comes to the All-State Arena. Chuckle all you want at the WWE; tickets are fetching upwards of $1000 from scalpers.

Does the warming weather make you want to strap on those tennies and get moving? You're not alone. There are a ton of folks at the Chicago Area Runners Association who would love to help you become a real runner. There are training sessions for half-marathons, 5Ks, 10Ks, and even training for those new to training, and they all get started pretty soon. You really wanted an excuse to buy those funky sweat bands anyway (short shorts optional).

It a big season for sports: the Cubs and Sox are in Spring training, March Madness is on the verge, and the Bulls... well, at least we have baseball to look forward to. Read all about it in this week's gigantic Sports in Five.

It typically takes the Olympics for Americans to think of curling, and GB is no different: Cinnamon gave a shout for the Chicago Curling Club a couple weeks ago. If you missed the open house she mentioned, Chris Sprow of the Chicago Sports Review went as your proxy, and, well, it doesn't sound like it was pretty.

Cubs fans, it's time once again to get your wristbands! You have until 10:00 tonight to stop by Wrigley Field and pick up a wristband that will determine your place in line tomorrow morning at 6:00, when the starting number is called for the head of the line. If you were planning on sitting this season's ticket sale out, you might reconsider; according to the Cubs blog Bleed Cubbie Blue, the lines haven't been as long for this year's wristbands, which means fewer people in line for tickets tomorrow morning.

In recognition of Black History Month, today's Sun-Times runs a list of Chicago's Top 10 Black Sports Heroes. Those included range from Air Jordan to boxer Jack Johnson. But, the next iteration of this list may well need to make room for speed skater and South Sider Shani Davis, who yesterday became the first African-American to win individual gold in the Winter Games.

Love him or hate him, zany sports guy Bruce Wolf is a staple in Chicago sports journalism. Having worked at FOX Chicago for 18 years, Wolf was fired this week with no explanation given by either party. Sadly, like so much else, the Trib speculates it was about money.

Unlike legions of Cubs and old school Sox fans, Milo Hamilton doesn't like Harry Caray...at all. Hamilton, the long-time broadcaster of the Houston Astros & former Cubs announcer, calls Caray a "miserable human being" in his recently published memoirs.

If you'd like to be part of the Windy City Rollers but, for some reason, can't join a team (ie, Y chromosome), here's your chance. The WCR is seeking referee applicants, and the only prerequisites are an age of 21+, "a love of sports and strong women," and some free time. Contact Mob Hit Molly for more information (and read up on the nuances of the game here).

While most White Sox fans already knew that Frank Thomas would not be back with the team in 2006, those thoughts were solidified as the Sox career leader in nearly every offensive category signed a one-year deal with the Oakland Athletics on Wednesday. The trade for Jim Thome and re-signing of Paul Konerko left no room for Thomas, who can only DH at this point in his storied career.

The 1985 Chicago Bears are the greatest football team of all time. How do we know this? Because the Illinois General Assembly passed legislation yesterday officially naming the '85 Bears the greatest ever. So to all the other football teams out there: too late! We called it! Also in the bill: a designation naming November 2005 (that is, November of last year) as "1985 Chicago Bears Championship Month". So all you time-travellers out there, hop back 2 months and enjoy the citywide celebration! Those of you stuck in the present, relive the magic by watching The Super Bowl Shuffle at IFILM.